With dense forests, sandy beaches and shallow wetlands, Southeast Texas is overflowing with outdoor recreation. Enjoy local botanical gardens and city parks or find adventure in the many hiking & biking locales that abound in Southeast Texas, such as the Big Thicket National Preserve.

If you're an avid birder, or simply a beginner looking to get started, you've come to the right place! Beaumont, Texas is located near the Gulf of Mexico, known for its globally unique ecosystem with a diversity of habitats, fish and wildlife.

While there are plenty of places around town to bring along the crew, finding a family friendly place just makes things go so much better. These places in Beaumont are not just thinking about the food, they are thinking about kids and families too!

The Official Southeast Texas Visitors Guide is devoted to the area's must-see attractions, best dining, shopping and outdoor activities. The annually produced guide includes hotel listings and easy-to-read maps making it the ultimate resource for visitors looking for an authentic southeast Texas experience.

Beaumont is a fun-loving city that hangs its hat in Southeast Texas, just minutes from the Louisiana border and the Gulf of Mexico. If you're looking for inspiration to plan your visit, start with our Top 10 Reasons to Visit below.

Located an hour and a half east of Houston, near the border of Louisiana, Beaumont, Texas is like no other place on earth. It's where the Gulf meets the marsh, saltwater meets fresh and Texas hospitality meets Cajun joi de vivre (joy of living).

Hunting Season Opens in the Big Thicket National Preserve

This week marks the beginning of hunting season in the Big Thicket National Preserve. During the preserve’s hunting season, October 3, 2015 through February 29, 2016, recreational users, including hikers, campers, photographers, bird watchers, and paddlers are encouraged to wear bright identifiable colors, specifically hunter orange or international orange, while exploring the preserve’s six hunting units.

The National Park Service at Big Thicket National Preserve manages over 112,000 acres of lands, in 15 different units, spread across seven countries in southeast Texas. Hunting is only permitted in six of the 15 units, including the: Beaumont Unit in Jefferson County; Beech Creek Unit in Tyler County; Big Sandy Unit in Polk County; Jack Gore Baygall Unit in Hardin County; Lance Roiser Unit in Hardin County; and Neches Bottom Unit in Jasper County. When visiting these units of the preserve, all visitors are highly encouraged to wear hunter orange, to ensure their visibility.

In an effort to facilitate multiple uses of preserve land, and allow everyone the opportunity to recreate in the Big Thicket, some units of the preserve do not permit hunting, while others do. Hunters may not hunt within 500 feet of any designated trail, roadway, residence or any navigable waterway. Additional hunting resources can be found in the fishing & hunting section of our website.

For their safety and overall enjoyment, all visitors to the preserve should take a moment to become familiar with all the activities happening in the area they plan to visit. For general information about Big Thicket National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/bith or call the preserve visitor center at 409-951-6700. Or, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

National Park Service

The National Park Service is dedicated to conservation of the Big Thicket National Preserve. Located just north of Beaumont, Texas the Preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 112,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types – the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all of these different vegetation types come together in the Thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received national interest. For general information about Big Thicket National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/bith or call the preserve visitor center at (409) 951-6700.